The field of containers is a well-known art which has developed from ancient pottery to include the present day tamper-proof containers whose present need is evidenced by the recent difficulties encountered in maintaining the integrity of containers on store shelves. In addition, known containers include various sealing means which are either integrally formed with the body of the container or secured thereto in order to permit opening and sealing of the container. However, the fabrication of such containers has become complicated as improved seals are employed. Moreover, such seals usually require additional structure to retain the seals in a closed position. Examples of such sealing structures are found in typical milk containers as disclosed, for example, in U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,184,624; 4,206,867; 4,211,357; 4,244,474; 4,313,553; 4,314,642; and 4,327,861.
Improvements in such containers have been directed to providing simpler structured containers and closure seals which are positively locked in either opened or closed positions.
One such improvement is evidenced by U.S. Pat. No. 3,995,806 which discloses a rectangular outer configuration having an opening positioned in a side wall thereof. A hinged flap closure is secured at its periphery to the periphery of the opening. In this fashion, the hinged closure can be drawn outwardly from the side wall thereof. Such movement is made possible by virtue of the flexing of the structure forming the hinge and such flexing is required in order to permit the hinge to move from an open to a closed position or vice versa.
Similar type structures are disclosed in U.S. Pat. Nos. 3,672,557 and 3,998,380 wherein the hinge members also flex in their movement from an open to a closed position. However, in none of these patents does the container body structure flex substantially so as to contribute to the operation of the movement of the hinge structure. Moreover, the sealing of these containers is provided solely by the flex of the hinge structures. With repeated use, these structures, which are relatively small in comparison to the size of the container body, weaken and thereby diminish the sealing capability of these structures.
I have invented a improved container which avoids the aforementioned limitations and thus provides an advance over the known state of the art structures.